


Balance of Power

by TelepathJeneral



Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: F/M, canonicity aside it's still wonderful, i have sold out to this ship wholeheartedly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-04
Updated: 2015-02-04
Packaged: 2018-03-10 11:48:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3289268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TelepathJeneral/pseuds/TelepathJeneral
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Long nights, longer days, and the existence of a man whose only duty is to serve allows Peggy to explore certain alternate dynamics in the small duo Howard Stark has forced upon her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Balance of Power

It was late, and the radio had been turned down low. The lights were left off, save for a reading lamp in a corner of the hotel room. For most other people, the privacy and solitude of a hotel room rented on someone else’s money would be enough to encourage many things, few of them appropriate for polite society, and none of them appropriate for Mrs. Fry. The thought was enough to make Peggy Carter (espionage specialist, potential double agent, and veteran of the SSR) smile. Mr. Jarvis had always encouraged her to smile more often. The fact that her landlady provided a surprising source of amusement aside, Peggy could certainly take him at his word.

For his part, Jarvis did his best to bandage Peggy’s ankle, a flashlight held between his teeth to focus on his handiwork. Given the time, they’d decided that a bright light in a hotel could draw some attention, and as such, Jarvis had fetched the flashlight tucked beneath his driver’s seat rather than turn on the overhead. Now, crouched against the hotel’s decidedly gaudy carpet, he concentrated all his attention on confirming that the bandage was secure. His dedication to the task at hand more than slightly intrigued Peggy, and she carefully slipped her good foot out of her heels in order to poke Jarvis’s knee with her stockinged foot.

“Miss Carter.” With one hand on her ankle, Jarvis removed the flashlight from his teeth, setting it on the floor to glance at the agent.

“I found the footwear inappropriate.”

“Hm.” His quiet acquiescence was enough to make Peggy poke him again, chuckling as he brushed off the minor annoyance. “Really, Miss Carter.”

“I’m testing your ability in the field, Mister Jarvis. Attention to detail while distracted.”

“As a servant, Miss Carter, my place is to serve. As an agent, however, I-“ With a slight pause, Jarvis shook his head, ridding himself of whatever thought had plagued him. “Hm. Well.”

“As an agent? Might I remind you, Mister Jarvis, that Mister Stark assigned you to my care, not me to yours?”

“I’d contest that assessment, but yes, you may remind me.”

“Contest it? Mister Jarvis, I’d offer, in full modesty, that I am the more experienced member of our duo, and it is my services, not yours, that Howard Stark sought specifically.”

“Full modesty. Quite.” Jarvis raised an eyebrow, resting his hand on her bandaged ankle in order to make a point, and Peggy carefully removed her foot from his grasp as she corralled the butler with her knees. He made something of a sight, curled on the floor with his legs spread out across the carpet, and Peggy allowed herself a smile. He could be amusing, when he chose to be-and often when he did not.

“You’re claiming that your assignment to me indicates that your value-“

“I claim nothing about my value, Miss Carter. I only aim to serve.”

“Hm.” Peggy turned his earlier non-answer into an answer of her own, using her good foot to at first poke Jarvis’s knee, then to edge further up to push back the edge of his coat.

“Miss Carter. Please.”

“You aim to serve. I thought the saying was ‘aim to please’.”

“I do that too.” Jarvis forced himself to look away, and Peggy leaned forward to take note of the flush creeping up his cheeks. The light might have been casting deep shadows, but Peggy could reach forward all the same and did so, turning Jarvis’s head to have her look at her again.

“Well then. Please me.”

“I’ve already driven you here, rented the room, and tended to your ankle-“

“All tasks I could have done myself.”

“And honestly, Miss Carter-“

“You just said you aim to please. Is this complaining I hear?” Peggy made sure not to loosen her grip on Jarvis’s chin, but made sure to leave enough slack for him to truly pull away if he wanted. Periods of isolation with only one confidante could lead to a distortion of social barriers; she must do her best not to ignore Jarvis’s own desires.

However, Jarvis made no move to pull away, and as they both fell quiet, Jarvis allowed himself only the smallest of smiles. Peggy sat up straighter at the expression, attempting to silence the thrill of pleasure at the base of her spine, but released Jarvis at long last before pressing her foot against his knee.

“Let us make the terms of our situation quite clear, Mr. Jarvis.” Peggy rested both arms on the arms of her chair, holding herself in as regal position as possible. Jarvis held himself still, forced to look up at her from his position on the floor, and Peggy’s smile grew ever more sincere as she basked in his adoration.

“Of course, Miss-“

“Firstly. No talking. At least on your end.” Peggy edged her foot higher, and to her surprise, Jarvis leaned forward to allow her to press her foot against his sternum. “Am I understood?”

“Yes, Miss-“

“I _said-_ “ Peggy dug her toes into his shirt, watching the pristine material wrinkle. “No talking. Am I understood?”

Jarvis opened his mouth to speak again, but hesitated, closing his mouth at last to nod mutely. Peggy smiled, and watched as Jarvis shifted closer on the floor.

“I think that’s an adequate place to start, don’t you think?” Another nod, and, feeling generous, Peggy lifted her foot again to gently trace the curve of Jarvis’s jaw. With some hesitation, Jarvis reached up to run one finger along the bottom of Agent Carter’s calf; Peggy did her best to ignore her own shiver, concentrating instead on Jarvis’s appreciative smile.

“You adore this, don’t you.” Peggy shifted in her seat, resting her head on one hand as she continued stroking Jarvis’s cheek. Jarvis could only nod, leaning into her touch, and it was only after a few minutes that he finally turned to kiss the top of her foot. Peggy blinked, slightly surprised, but held her foot still before issuing another command.

“Do that again.”

With only a moment of hesitation, Jarvis did as she asked, holding her heel with one hand before kissing the bone of her foot again. Peggy nodded, gesturing for him to continue, and stretched out her leg as Jarvis carefully placed further kisses along her ankle, then up along her calf. His careful, slow motions allowed each kiss to last for several seconds, and Peggy allowed herself the pleasure of relaxing into his kisses before tensing slightly.

“Hm. Very good.” Peggy extracted her leg from Jarvis’s grasp, intrigued to notice that he had managed to place another hand against the underside of her calf without her noticing. Jarvis immediately sat up, letting his hands fall, and turned his attention to Peggy once more to await her next instruction. Peggy sat up before leaning forward again, holding Jarvis’s attention before she reached forward to touch his lips.

“No touching.” With that, Peggy began to circle Jarvis’s lips with her index finger, forcing him to both pay attention to her and to abstain from returning the affection. “You do quite well with these. You can tell Mister Stark that I’m impressed.”

She was pleased to note that Jarvis did flush crimson at the reference to his employer, and just as Jarvis prepared to pull away, Peggy leaned forward to kiss the top of his forehead. “My apologies, Jarvis. In recompense, you’re allowed to touch my skirt. I understand it may have caused some obstruction in your earlier ventures. Please, continue.”

It was interesting to see how Jarvis still hesitated, even though he now had her permission; it was only after she nodded him encouragement that he reached up to fold back her skirt, setting a hand on her knee before leaning forward to kiss beside his hand. In deference to his exploration, Peggy held herself still, holding her breath as Jarvis kissed the side of her knee, then reached up with both hands to slide along the hem of her stockings. Even as his hands inched upward, Jarvis directed his kisses ever lower along her knee, pausing once his hands reached the edge of her chair.

It was amusing to see him leaning over her, holding himself still in the silence of their room. The plane of his chest was perfectly aligned with the angle of her shin, but he held himself an even inch away from her, careful to let nothing but his lips and his hands touch her stockings. With her leg jutting between his arms, Peggy could reach up to nudge his abdomen, and chuckled softly to herself as Jarvis backed away. As he tried to right himself, unable to meet her eyes, Peggy noted the visible distention at the front of his pants, and gave him leave to try and arrange himself to his comfort.

“Jarvis?” Peggy found it harder to emerge from her dictatorial mood than from other guises-after another attempt, she managed to remove any trace of reprimand from her tone. “Jarvis? You can speak now-you should understand that that stipulation only applies to-“

“This. I understand.” Jarvis nodded, his face still distorted by shadow, and cleared his throat before turning to face her. A vivid blush still colored his cheeks, but Peggy suspected that her own complexion was much the same, and decided against mentioning it. “I. I will-“

“Jarvis. Go home. Get some rest.” In the interest of discretion, Peggy made no mention of other activities to be pursued in the privacy of one’s home, and as Jarvis moved to stand, she leaned down to pick up the flashlight and hand it to Jarvis. The faintest contact of their hands on the cool metal of the light was enough to make Jarvis tense, and as he found his way to the door, Peggy did her best not to call out some reassurance.

“Good night, Miss Carter.”

“Good night, Mister Jarvis.” Peggy waited until the flashlight clicked off, and the door quietly fell shut as Jarvis made his way back out to the car. Though her own discomfort –and the underlying pleasure-faded quickly, she could only imagine what Jarvis must be facing on his ride home.

The thought itself was enough to make her flush warmly again, and she quickly resolved to get to sleep before she faced any further distractions.


End file.
